Council Tax value for money?

The season of Council Tax bills will be upon us Uk residents soon. That is when we pay for local services. As I am on the Parish Council I get to see up close now how that money is spent and accounted for. So I started to think about the other tiers that get my money (we have 3 layers here - parish/local; borough/nearest town; County/overall services but based 40 miles away).

Over 6 years I have paid the Borough council £468. What have they done for me?

Emptied my wheelie bin 300 times. 

That is £1.56 each time whether it is non recycling or recycling (and remember in theory they could collect money from stuff that is recycled not that I would know).

I have not used any of the other local services that are free except I have walked in 2 parks about 5 times in 6 years. Can't find anything on their web site that I would have need of except I have used council car parks in town and paid about 10 times in 6 years.

So this week I had no hesitation in making a DEMAND. They have an on line presence where you can ask for stuff to be done.  I asked "Can you please clean the streets in my village?"

This was my second time of asking in the last month and this time I sent 10 photos of the mess in out gutters from health centre, past schools and to the shops. Even grass growing in places! Drainage compromised and as a cyclist I get forces to ride through the mess when cars swing too close.

They came and did it yesterday!!!